When Kino Warren learns of his mentor's approaching death, he decides to embark on a trek across the country on foot, passing through a realm that is not of this world and known as "the territory." In Kino's mind, the mentor will not die until he arrives, no matter how long it takes. When Kino sets out on his journey, he has no idea that several people are following him, some of them malicious, some of them politically motivated, all of them in search of the only-known recording of the most powerful piece of music ever created, a piece that is said to be capable of removing all pain from the listener, a piece that was created by his mentor and is in his possession, completely unknown to him.